Helping (free)hand and smooth summer sounds

MANILA, Philippines - The art of typography has been ignored for years but the recent trend of handwritten type shows that it is slowly getting the recognition it deserves. From restaurant walls to day-to-day essentials, typography is reentering our consciousness and, even using it to raise awareness to important causes.

“Type Kita,” organized by PopJunkLove, is a two-day exhibit featuring typographic pieces and installations from artists, letterers, and penmans. Works by participating artists such as Patrick Cabral, Camille Cabral, Alessa Lanot, Mansy Abesamis, Alexis Ventura, Abbey Sy, Fozzy Castro-Dayrit, and Hocus Manila will be auctioned off for the benefit of Yolanda victims. Don’t have the money to splurge? By simply attending, you can help the cause by paying the minimal door fee of P50.

If you are itching to put that creative inspiration into good use, stamping sessions, and casual calligraphy and lettering sessions will also be held at the event.

The exhibit will open today at 12 noon and will run until 7 p.m. tomorrow in 10A Alabama, Quezon City. For more information, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/typekitaexhibit.— MAINE MANALANSAN

No one knows why, but sunbathing or nursing a cold drink by the sand just isn’t complete without any music. This theory does not discriminate against genres, either — one can go from fist-bumping EDM beats to mellow tracks that jive with the waves.

Thankfully, loading up one’s iPod need not be a pre-beach requisite at the Summer Siren Festival. The festival has lined up over two dozen musical acts from a glittering array of genres; everyone’s local favorites will definitely get one moving in one way or another.

One can choose to jump along to Pedicab’s crowd-pleasing electrorock favorites such as Dizzy Boy and Dito Tayo sa Dilim. There’s also Franco to provide some classic rock realness, and if we’re being perfectly honest, some veritable eye candy in the form of frontman Franco Reyes. Supermodel-cum-DJ duo The Zombettes will also be there, armed with their slick sound and equally arresting style. And finally, Up Dharma Down’s unique and soulful sound might just be the highlight of anyone’s beach trip. One can only imagine being serenaded by a live version of Oo, and reeling in the #feels.

While we may never know why good sound completes the perfect triad with sun and sand, it goes without saying that as long as it is around, everything else is just there to sweeten the deal. — MARGARITA BUENAVENTURA